Jordan gets $189m loan to support huge water project

Jordan has received KD58 million ($189 million) from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, an Arab development finance institution, to support its national water carrier project.

The funds will be used to develop the electrical supply component of the multi-billion-dollar water desalination project, the state-run Jordan News Agency reported.

Planning and international cooperation minister Zeina Toukan said the loan will help to build a secure, stable electricity supply for the project’s facilities and enhance the capacity of the national grid.

In June 2021, the government put the cost of the mega project at JD2 billion ($2.8 billion).

The project will desalinate 300 million cubic metres of water annually to address acute water scarcity in the world’s second water-poorest country. It will expand desalination capacity, conveyance infrastructure, solar facilities and water storage to secure supply from the Aqaba region to Amman.

Jordan and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development have jointly launched a new five-year country partnership strategy (2025-29) valued at $690 million. It prioritises investment in water and energy infrastructure and private sector development.

The country secured more than $2 billion in grants and concessional loans to build a series of development projects, with the World Bank providing loans worth $1.1 billion to boost economic growth.

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